1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a recording method which can set a drive condition of a recording head which records by using heat, particularly a recording head which discharges ink by using heat, and a recording method.
2. Related Background Art
Among recording apparatuses which record by using heat are included recording apparatuses of a thermo-sensitive type, a thermal transfer type and an ink jet type. Of those, the ink jet type recording apparatus comprises, in many cases, a semi-permanently usable head (hereinafter referred to as a PH) and a replaceable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the PH. However, in the PH, it is difficult to perfectly eliminate a failure due to aging and a special maintenance service system is required to maintain a recording performance over an extended period.
From a standpoint of improving the reliability, an ink jet type recording apparatus which uses a replaceable head cartridge having integrated ink tank and head (hereinafter referred to as a DH) has been put into practice. Further, an ink tank/head separable and replaceable ink jet type recording apparatus in which the head and the ink tank are independently replaceable with the consideration to a running cost and a global environment while taking the advantage of the DH in terms of the reliability, has also been proposed.
On the other hand, in the drive of the ink jet recording apparatus, a temperature of the ink is critical. Thus, an invention which allows correct detection of the ink temperature by considering a thermal time constant of the head in detecting the ink temperature has been proposed by the assignee of the present invention in U.S. Ser. No. 921,832 (which Japanese Patent Laid-Open Appln. No. 5-31906 corresponds to).
However, in the head replaceable type recording apparatus such as the DH type or the ink tank/head separable and replaceable type in which a plurality of heads are sequentially replaced for one recording apparatus, a drive condition may vary due to a variation in the manufacture of the recording head or the recording apparatus. This may lead to the deterioration of the recording characteristic and the reduction of the thermal lifetime of the recording head and it is a serious problem to be solved.
In order to avoid such a problem, for the variation of the power supply voltage of the recording apparatus, the adjustment of the power supply voltage and the correction of the drive condition in accordance with the measurement of the power supply voltage are carried out at the time of the manufacture of the recording apparatus. For the variation in the manufacture of the replacing head, a standard drive condition in the recording apparatus is previously measured and it is held by the recording apparatus as the drive condition information, and the information is read when the replaceable recording head is mounted in the recording apparatus. As a form of the drive condition information, an identification resistor, electrical storage means such as a ROM or mechanical means such as a notch may be used, and read means therefor is provided in the recording apparatus.
However, the adjustment and the correction of the power supply voltage cause the increase of the manufacturing cost of the recording apparatus. The measurement of the drive condition of the replaceable head at the time of shipment increases the cost of the replaceable head and requires dedicated read means in the recording apparatus. Thus, in the prior art apparatus, the construction is complicated and this poses a serious problem for the replaceable head type recording apparatus.